92 TRANSPORTATTON RESEARCH RECORD 1229

Intercity Bus Stops: Essential Connectors for a Viable Rural System

MARY KIHL

The paper is based on the assumption that reliable, secure bus rural area. Nevertheless they do constitute a need for service. stops are essential both to maintaining existing ridership and to For example, a recent study conducted in the northern tier enticing new riders either from among small town residents or of counties in Nebraska found that 1,300 people were totally from new feeder networks. The expectation is that unless adequate dependent on a regional intercity bus for their connection to bus stops are provided and regularly served, potential rural riders the broader world. Unfortunately, the carrier had incurred a will not feel confident to venture out to take the intercity bus. The December 1984 Intercity Bus Terminal Study defines an adequate debt of $114,000/year in order to continue to serve them (6, bus station as one that ''provides a place to purchase tickets, obtain p. 15). some schedule information and wait in a sheltered area, perhaps How to serve the intercity travel need of these rural resi­ with access to food service and/or rest rooms.'' Using these criteria dents in the face of rising costs has been the focus of a number ~s a guide, the current study takes another look at rural bus stops of news articles and scholarly papers, as well as of a number m Iowa, a state well known for its rural orientation. A telephone of public and private experiments. The news articles (7-9) survey was conducted of a random sample of 43 commission agents in June 1987. Overall, it was found that the majority of agents have decried the fact that "you can't get there from here regard their bus station activities as a type of "community service" anymore," scholarly papers have been devoted to an analysis operated in addition to another business. They served few pas­ of the "new vanishing American," the captive bus rider. One sengers and received little financial benefit. Consequently more recent study of the demand for intercity buses by the elderly than 25 percent of the stops surveyed did not meet the established on a route in California found that ridership by the elderly criteria. A fuller recognition of the importance of bus stations in on intercity buses was low-about 3.3 percent of the passen­ the overall plans for increasing ridership in rural areas is needed. gers per vehicle-service-hour. What was surprising was not the small number but that only a tiny number of riders were In a day when deregulation is an accepted modus operandi and profit making is an obvious indicator of success, rural bus "captive." The rest of the riders were indistinguishable from the elderly who did not ride the bus p. 2). The high service appears to be an anachronism. Since the 1982 Bus (10, Regulatory Reform Act, intercity bus companies have divested relative costs of providing service in rural areas have also (11), themselves of numerous rural routes and reduced the number inspired scholarly papers such as that by Hansen et al. of stops in many small communities, opting instead for the who assess the relative high unit costs for service in rural areas of Wisconsin. efficiency that comes with interstate highway through travel and charter service (1-4). At the same time, the continuing Policy analysts who have considered approaches to bol­ migration of rural youth toward better employment oppor­ stering the intercity system through increasing ridership have tunities in suburbia and exurbia is leaving rural America with largely emphasized public-private cooperation as a means of a dwindling and increasingly elderly population base (5). The blending both public service and private operational effi­ majority of those who continue to live in small towns and ciency. Feeder systems have long been advocated as a man­ rural areas have always equated mobility with the family auto­ ifestation of this type of public-private cooperation. With rural public transit services retrieving rural residents from small mobile or pickup truck. Nevertheless, in the face of these overwhelming trends there towns and rural areas and transferring them to intercity buses is a small but significant segment of the population that is not at preestablished stops, the partnership would seem to benefit independently mobile. These residents are tied to rural Amer­ both the residents' need for longer-distance transportation ica not only by tradition and sentiment but by fixed incomes and the intercity buses' need for increased ridership. This is, and personal investment in homes with limited resale value. of course, the logic behind the new Greyhound Rural Con­ This group includes not only the small number of elderly nection Service (12). residents who never did drive but also an increasing number The Rural Connection Service, which was inaugurated shortly of the very elderly who are no longer confident in driving over a year ago, is now operating in 12 states. The program long distances or who have lost their licenses because of phys­ provides for a formal linkage between Greyhound and either ical frailty. They are joined by youth and low-income families public or private rural providers. Passengers are provided with with limited personal means of mobility (6, p. 9). Together joint ticketing, assured transfers, and the opportunity to make these people do not constitute a sufficient market to entice trips across the state or country. The cooperating rural systems private bus companies to serve them in the sparsely populated benefit from commissions paid by Greyhound Lines based on the distance the respective passengers travel on Greyhound. As of December 1988 there were rural connection programs Design Research Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 . operating in Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, Kihl 93

New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Ten­ urban bus terminals, but advised against providing any federal nessee, Texas, and Virginia. However, only seven of these assistance for constructing terminals in nonurbanized areas. programs have been operating for more than a few months, This was a role to be left to the private carriers. They con­ and it is far too soon to judge their ultimate effectiveness (6, cluded that "in the majority of states, the private sector solu­ p. 13; 12, 13) . tion wherein a private carrier arranges for bus facilities either A parallel program, the Greyhound Shuttle, goes one step directly or through an agent who provides retail store space, farther by allowing Greyhound commission agents to lease has been considered adequate (19, pp. 87-88). In the study, vehicles from Greyhound Lines and to operate them in rural a distinction was drawn between a terminal as a facility with areas or small towns as connectors to Greyhound's intercity the primary purpose of furnishing passengers with transpor­ system. The program, which is just getting under way, is tation services and a bus station that sells bus services as a currently being tried in Sandusky, Ohio (14). To date few of secondary business while its primary business may be that of these feeder operations have yielded large numbers of addi­ a retail store, motel, or gas station (19 , pp. 10-11). Never­ tional riders, but the scattered populations in rural areas would theless, the authors did go on to provide a useful definition make that an unrealistic expectation. The one feeder program of an ideal bus station-one located close to the passengers' that has generated large numbers of riders is the bus-train origin or destination-one that " provides a place to purchase program in California where population densities are rela­ tickets, obtain some schedule information and wait in a shel­ tively higher than in other states that have tried feeder pro­ tered area, perhaps with access to food service and/or rest grams. In California bus-train service has continued to expand rooms" (19, p. 10). Such a station should certainly not be over the last 6 years, particularly in regard to the bus link. beyond the expectations of rural travelers. Three new routes were added in April 1986 and some earlier However, in 1980 when the researchers of a U.S. Depart­ routes readjusted. Total ridership on these feeders is now ment of Transportation (USDOT) study, took a more in­ close to 250,000 (15, 16). depth look at 374 rural bus stop facilities in Oklahoma , Mary­ Recognizing that intercity bus travel cannot continue to land, Oregon, and Mississippi, they found that 53 percent of survive in rural areas unless there are major and consistent the stops were unsheltered, and an additional 6 percent were efforts to increase ridership, the author of this paper has sheltered but in poor condition. At flag stops they observed focused on a frequently overlooked but fairly basic factor in that prospective passengers literally got out and waved down generating ridership for intercity buses-:-adequate bus sta­ the bus even in bad weather when visibility was limited (20, tions. The paper is based on the assumption that reliable, p. 1-13-14) . Nevertheless, in this prederegulation study some secure bus stops are essential both to maintaining existing positives were noted including the fact that 95 percent of the ridership and to enticing new riders either from among small stops were within 1 mi of a community center and that most town residents or from feeder networks. The expectation is passengers had vehicles available to transport them to bus that unless adequate bus stops are provided and regularly stops (20, p. 81-8-16). served, potential rural riders will not feel confident to venture Six years after deregulation, the author of the current study out to take the intercity bus. Similarly, feeder systems without is taking another look at rural bus stops in the light of con­ well-publicized connecting points are doomed to be under­ tinuing cutbacks in intercity bus service and in light of the used. This point was demonstrated by a 1985 UMTA-spon­ overall decline in bus ridership. The target area for this study sored 4-I project in Iowa. This program involved five different is the state of Iowa, a state well-known for its rural orientation forms of feeders ranging from taxi to connecting bus service. and a state considerably affected by the loss of stops since All linked with Jefferson Lines, a regional intercity bus oper­ deregulation. Because there is no standardized source of data ator. Over the 6 months of operation, the program did not on rural bus stops and the passengers they serve, the approach generate a sufficient number of riders for several reasons, one used was to survey commission agents. This approach unfor­ of which was that potential riders did not trust the system , tunately excluded the review of a number of flag stops because especially for return trips (17, p. 37). They were not confident many of these are not associated with a specific location or where and when they would be picked up. The problem was telephone. However, the focus was to be on bus stops that exaggerated when one stop had to be changed three times in could function as "bus stations" in reassuring prospective riders 6 months. and informally encouraging people to take the bus. A bus route, like any other type of system, must have Names and addresses of the commission agents for two of connectors in order to function. Yet too often the focus has the major bus companies serving Iowa-Greyhound and Jef­ been on route configuration and timing with far less attention ferson Lines-were obtained from the Greyhound Lines to the means of encouraging potential riders to access the Directory of Sales Location (21) and the Jefferson Transpor­ system. Fortunately, some states are beginning to recognize tation Group Agency Directo.'y (22), respectively. A sample the importance of investing in rural bus stops. For example, of 43 bus stations were selected randomly. However, a large the state of California has introduced a clean-up, fix-up Joan number of stops were designated as "flag" by Greyhound program for local bus stop operators to help them improve (approximately one-third of all Greyhound stops) and had no safety and their image (18). The state of Michigan is also further information listed in the directory. Consequently, the expanding its terminal building program to include building sample included a larger proportion of Jefferson Line stops. weather-protected passenger shelters in rural areas, recog­ Both carriers serve several of the major centers from the same nizing that "dilapidated facilities can discourage the use of terminal. Information available from the Jefferson directory intercity buses" (17). as to hours of operation, name of agent, and length of tenure In December 1984 the authors of the Intercity Bus Terminal as agent was recorded as were the names and addresses asso­ Study (19) reported on the need for increased attention to ciated with the sample of Greyhound stops. A structured 94 TRANSPORTATION R ES EARCH RECORD 122 9 follow-up telephone interview was then conducted with each but one of the respondents also indicated a determination to of 37 operators who could be contacted. The telephone inter­ remain as a commission agent, thereby serving the public. view questions appear in the appendix. The study found no Hence, overall, these stops represented more stability than significant difference between the responses of Jefferson and had been anticipated, and the agents were in a position Greyhound agents. to comment effectively on changes in the bus service since Repeated efforts to reach five additional stops failed even deregulation. when calls were made at times when the printed schedule The overwhelming majority of the commission agents (62.2 indicated that a bus was to stop. One other store owner noted percent) reported that only one or two buses stopped a day that he had not seen the bus for 6 months, although he was (usually one in each direction). Thirteen percent of the stops still listed as commission agent. Information obtained from were served by 3 to 4 buses a day-usually 2 in each direction; the schedules and printed directories was, however, included an additional 13.5 percent reported 5 to 9 buses a day; and for the unattended stops to represent the full picture of bus 10.8 percent said that they had over 10 buses a day. The latter stops in Iowa. two categories were in the larger cities. However, the pattern The population of the towns associated with the sample of is not consistent because two of the towns with a population stops ranged from 500 to over 20,000, thereby representing of more than 20,000 reported only two stops a day. the full range of Iowa's population centers. Distribution was The number of tickets sold by these stops is again relatively as follows: 0 to 500 (2.4 percent), 501to2,000 (23.3 percent), predictable. As shown in Table 1, the majority (66 percent) 2,001 to 5,000 (21.4 percent), 5,001-20,000 (16.7 percent), of the stops that sold tickets sold less than 25 tickets a week. and over 20,000 (26 percent). The latter group included ter­ In fact, 27 .3 percent of the stops reported that they did not minals in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Ames, Iowa City, and sell tickets because that was done on the bus. Few reported Mason City. The strong representation of larger population any type of peaking in sales and 28.6 percent noted a decrease centers is in part a reflection of the trends associated with in sales over the winter. deregulation and in part an indication of the absence of the Most respondents were reluctant to share information Greyhound flag stops in the sample. Of these stops, 33.3 regarding the dollar value of tickets sold. In fact , only 16 percent were situated along Interstate highways with the rest respondents were willing to suggest a figure. Of these, 18.8 along primary state and federal roads. percent said that ticket sales were less than $100 a month, The type of service provided by these stops ranged from 31.3 percent indicated sales levels at $100 to $500, and 50 full (21.4 percent), including handling of both passengers and percent (again in the larger population areas) indicated sales baggage in a dedicated facility, to flag stops, listed by Jeffer­ of more than $500 a month. Given the small number of son, with no ticket sales (23.8 percent). The largest proportion responses, little can be determined from these figures except (42.9 percent) offered full service as a consignment in another confirmation of the fact that commissions are not generally business. Experience as a commission agent varied from 3 very large. weeks to well over 15 years: 21.4 percent serving less than 2 Respondents indicated that 40 percent of all travelers pur­ years, 21.4 percent serving 2 to 5 years, 14.3 percent serving chased tickets to travel within the state. An additional 53 6 to 10 years, and 19 percent serving more than 15 years. percent, however, noted travel outside of in addition to within What was impressive was the overall longevity of service among Iowa . In fact, half of their sales were for points outside the the consignees. In fact, all but one of the newer consignees state. In a given week, people still travel from small towns in said that the predecessor had been in the same building. All Iowa to Florida, Chicago, and Detroit by bus, for example.

TABLE 1 NUMBER OF TICKETS SOLD BY TOWN POPULATION SIZE

Numb er of Tickets Sold ~ er Week Town Row Po~ulation None 0-5 6-10 ll-25 26-50 51 -100 Over 100 Total 0-500 1 3.0

501-2000 6 3 l 11 33.3

2001-5000 1 2 2 6 18 .2

5001-20,000 1 3 2 6 18 .2

Over 20,000 l 2 2 3 9 27 . 3

Totals 9 4 4 7 4 2 3 33 27 .3 12.l 12 .1% 21.2 12.l 6.1 9.1 100.0 Kiirl 95

A closer look at the type of customers that the intercity ever, a more fundamental image problem needs to be bus attracts in Iowa largely mirrors other national reports. addressed-the issue of the stops themselves. Most are seniors and women. In fact, 78 percent of the stops Symptomatic of some of the problems encountered by reported primarily senior riders, and 61 percent indicated that potential riders is the fact that more than 10 percent of the the majority of riders were women. An indication of the level stops listed in the respective directories were unreachable by of dependency on bus travel of some residents comes from telephone after several tries during different times of the day. the report that 86.7 percent of the stops have regular riders. At four additional stops the manager indicated that he or she Package handling efforts generally mirrored the low volume knew nothing about the bus except that it stopped outside. of ticket sales. Although 81 percent of the stops reported They were not even familiar with the schedule. Thus, at 20 handling packages, 29 percent indicated handling less than percent of the stops for which telephones and addresses were one package a week. An additional 38 percent reported han­ provided, no information on bus service would be available dling 2 to 10 packages a week. However, as is the case with to potential riders. This does not even begin to account for the passengers, there is a small number of shippers who are the Greyhound flag stops for which no contact numbers are reliant on bus service. Among the bus stop operators, 83.3 available. Approximately 55 percent of the original sample percent reported serving regular shippers. In fact, they were of Greyhound stops fell into this category. able to identify by name the local shippers relying on bus As indicated above, the stops that were contacted ranged service. The products shipped are varied but include such from those that would be characterized as dedicated terminals items as auto parts, construction parts, flowers, agricultural to those that would fit the definition of bus station or bus stop products, medical supplies and blood, newspapers, television provided in the US DOT/Interstate Commerce Commission tapes, and bicycles. The common element is that these items (ICC) terminal study (19). The latter included motels, con­ are oddly shaped or perishable and need fast, reliable service. venience stores, gas stations, cafes, and retail stores. The data Packages also are sent primarily within Iowa as reported by in Table 2 indicate the proportion of respondents by type of 46.2 percent of the respondents. However, 19.2 percent of primary business. This sample of bus stations is also compared them reported sending packages well beyond the borders of with that included in the 1984 ICC/USDOT terminal study. Iowa. The rest reported shipments primarily to Iowa and its Similarities between the two samples are apparent. However, neighboring states. this more rural sample indicates more of a reliance on con­ The study has thus far reconfirmed the findings of others, venience stores (18 percent) than on gas stations (12 percent) that bus service is meeting a need for a small group of people as bus stations. A considerable proportion (14 percent) of the who are familiar with it and are dependent on it for their more rural Iowa stations were motel lobbies. Both conven­ outlet to the broader world. These people are willing to adjust ience stores and motels are logical locations for stops. They their schedules and overlook inconveniences in order to travel are usually located out on the highways so routes are not or ship from one place to another by bus. diverted into town and both have extended hours. In fact, However, if bus companies are to become economically convenience stores are frequently open either until midnight viable, they will need to attract new riders. Publicity cam­ or for 24 hours. Motel lobby hours are similar, depending on paigns like those being carried on by Jefferson Lines in which the motel size and location. Although convenience stores typ­ civic groups and town officials are mobilized to support con­ ically have food available with no seating, motel lobbies have tinued bus service through news articles and town meetings seating with no food. Cates and other restaurants also featured are clearly a positive step (6, p. 14) . Greyhound's new Rural more prominently in the Iowa sample. These offer food and Connection plan promises more local publicity as well. How- seating but usually with shorter hours. Among all respondents

TABLE 2 TYPE OF ESTABLISHMENT SERVING AS BUS STATION

Current ICC/DOT Study Terminal Study Gas Station 12% 29% Convenience Store/Grocery 18% 5% Motel I Ho te 1 14% NA* Retail 14% 1 'i% Pharmacy 2% 0% Restaurant 12% 8% Other 17% Depot 28% 26% 100% 100% *Motel may have been included in "Other" category. 96 TRANSl'ORTA TJON RESEARCH RECORD 1229

TABLE 3 SERVICES PROVIDED BY RESPONDING BUS STATIONS Type Iowa Survey ICC/DOT 5tudy of (proportion of respondents (proportion of respondents Service providing service) providing service) Ticket sales 79% 94% Package service 74% 92% Seating 73% 89%

Food 38% 51% Possibility of transfer 15% 8% to another bus Taxi/limo service nearby 35% 60%

Free par~ing for travelers 78% 66%

73 percent indicated that there was a sheltered waiting area thought it would be worth a try because of the potential to available for bus passengers, but 27 percent reported that this attract more rural riders, especially in northwest Iowa where was not the case. there no longer is any intercity bus service. Several com­ The proportions of those stations responding to the survey mented on the long distances that passengers must travel to that provide key services are summarized in Table 3. Again reach these remaining bus stops. Some respondents, however, a comparison is provided with the 1984 national survey (19). were skeptical because of the previous experience with the The Iowa survey represented a large number of stations in Jefferson bus feeder pilot project mentioned above. They towns with populations well under 15,000, the definition for emphasized the need for publicity if any such effort were to small towns in the 1984 ICC/USDOT survey. These small succeed. Several also mentioned the concern that low den­ Iowa stations reflected both the positives and negatives of sities would mean long trips in a feeder van , which might small town facilities. There was less service geared exclusively discourage potential riders. An opinion survey of bus stop to bus passengers, but there was more free parking. The con­ operators is certainly not an adequate marketing tool by which cept of bus transfer was also reflected in some of the larger to test the feeder van concept, but it is an indication of a cities in the Iowa sample. potential market that has not yet been addressed. In fact , two Of the Iowa survey respondents, 73 percent indicated that of the respondents reported that they went out personally and they were open when the buses arrived. At 27 percent of the picked up regular customers on call. stops, however, the bus arrived after closing or before opening The effort to personally retrieve passengers is symptomatic hours. Hence, passengers still had to wait outside. Although of the service orientation of a large proportion of the station almost all reported that the bus is within 15 min of schedule, operators. Thirty-eight percent of the respondents noted that waiting outside would be difficult, especially in the winter. they were continuing as commission agents primarily because When asked how the passengers arrived at the bus stops, 78 they felt that the service was needed in the community. The percent of the respondents indicated that the majority of their enthusiasm with which they greeted this service opportunity, passengers drove their own cars and parked them at the stops, however, varied from " I love the work" to "someone has to and 59 percent indicated that some passengers were also do it." Only one respondent indicated that she experieuceJ dropped off by others. Usually this drop-off was by private any financial benefit from serving as commission agent. vehicle. Only 9 percent (3) of the respondents noted that It is certainly true that a bus stop is a needed service, but passengers used public transportation to reach the stops. This it can also become far more than that. It is, after all, an arm may be explained in part by the paucity of public transpor­ of a private company. As such, it needs to be part of the tation opportunities in most rural communities. At one stop system engaged in attracting increased ridership. Where agents in a larger town some passengers came by taxi, and at another have assumed responsibility for assisting in attracting rider­ they came by city bus. At only one stop were passengers ship, their efforts have frequently proven to be successful. A reported as arriving by public van. Among the respondents regular feature in Bus Ride magazine applauds the dedication only 12.5 percent observed passengers walking to the stop. of commission agents like Bob and Dolly Johnson who have These findings correspond rather closely to those of earlier their " hands in just about every aspect of terminal operation" studies. (23, p. 62) or Jan and Jim Ward who have worked to "avoid Nevertheless, the considerable drop-off traffic might well the typical bus stop look" and "have done much to enhance be some indication of a potential market for a feeder system. the image of bus travel in their region" (24 , p. 60). The agents In fact, the station operators were asked their opinion on featured, however, are usually associated with a dedicated whether they thought that such a system might work in their bus station or terminal. On the other hand, Vermont Transit, area. Among those responding, 51.7 percent said that they an intercity carrier in New England, is dedicated to assist Kihl 97

TABLE 4 CHANGES IN RIDERSHIP BY POPULATION SIZE Ridership Town Ridership Ridership Stayed No Row Po12ulation Decreased Increased the Same Res12onse Total

501-2000 3 5 l 9 30.0 2001-5000 2 4 7 23.3 5001-20,000 l 2 2 5 16.7

Over 20,000 3 2 3 9 30.0

Totals 9 12 4 5 30 30.0 40.0 13.3 16.7 100.0

agents like their Iowa counterparts-those for whom bus service would be minimal as would care in selecting convenient, reli­ is simply an additional duty in conjunction with their liveli­ able locations for bus agencies. Any such costs incurred would hood. They have identified two liaison agents who assist in be reimbursed by increased ridership. What is needed, in the networking time-saving ideas that have proven effective and overall plans for increasing ridership in rural areas, is a full that can benefit all of them. They also feed concerns back to recognition of the importance of the bus station on the part the company's sales manager (25, p. 60). This idea of liaison of the companies and the commission agents alike. agents might well be replicated elsewhere. Fortunately, a number of the Iowa respondents noted an increase in ridership within the last 3 years. Forty-one percent of those reporting an increase were from towns with a pop­ APPENDIX: Telephone Interview ulation of between 500 and 2,000 people, and an additional 33 percent of those reporting increases were from towns with Commission Agent: populations of 2,001 to 5,000 as indicated in Table 4. This Address: growth in ridership would not constitute any major shift from the perspective of the bus companies involved because the total volume of ticket sales is so low. No station in a town of Telephone number: under 5,000 in population reported selling more than 25 tick­ ets a week. Nevertheless the trend is encouraging. More needs 1. How long have you served as a commission agent? to be done to move more dramatically in that direction, and bus stations can play an important part. Scheduling infor­ If 1 year or less , where was it before? mation must be available at the stops, and telephones must be handled so that prospective riders are reassured as to con­ Do you plan to continue as a commission agent? nections. Radio connections between buses and the agents can keep agents informed of late schedules. Bus companies Why? will need to work with commission agents to ensure that not only are the stops made during reasonable times of the day Why not? but that the station is open during such stops. Waiting areas are, of course, ideal at bus stations but dif­ 2. How many buses stop at your location in a day? ficult to arrange in convenience stores or retail shops. Never­ theless, some secure place out of the weather needs to be Has that changed within the last 2 years, or since 1983? provided. One optional aspect in the earlier definition of the "ideal bus station" was access to food and rest rooms. The 3. Is your establishment open when the bus stops? former, fortunately, is currently available within walking dis­ tance of 81 percent of the responding bus stops, and the latter Does your station serve more than one bus company? is also available in all but 30 percent of the stops, the retail establishments. Motels and cafes serve these needs especially Which ones? well as highway stops. The potential for better use of bus stations to encourage Is there a nearby city bus or taxi stop? ridership certainly exists. The cost for increased hours of oper­ ation and providing more consistent scheduling information 4. Is there a regular waiting area? 98 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH RECORD 1229

Is food available in the station? in more passengers from rural areas. Do you think that might work in your area? Within walking distance? Why? Are restrooms available for passengers? Why not? 5. Within an average given week, how many tickets do you sell? No opinion.

In a peak week? 9. Where do people travel most often?

During a week in winter? 10. Do you handle packages?

Approximately what are your average ticket sales per How many in a given week? month? Does this vary throughout the year? Using last week as an example, would you say the bus was usually on time? What type of packages do you handle?

Within 15 minutes? Are your regular shippers from a certain company?

Within 30 minutes? Where are the packages going?

Later?

6. Has there been a significant change in ridership within REFERENCES the last 2 years? 1. A Report to the President and the Congress of the United States, Since you have become a commission agent? Part II, Implementation of the Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982: The Impact on Older Americans and Effect on Intercity Bus Ser­ vice. Motor Carrier Ratemaking Study Commission, Washington, 7. What type of people use the service? D.C., May 15, 1984. 2. F. Fravel. Intercity Bus Service Changes Following the Bus Reg­ ulatory Reform Acts of 1982. In Transportation Research Record Are they regular customers? 1012. TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1985, p. 38-47. What is the average age of your customers? 3. C. Oster and K. Zorn. Th e Impacts of Regulatory Reform in Intercity Bus Service. Indiana University, Bloomington; U .S. Seniors? Young people? Department of Transportation, Sept. 1984. 4. J. Kott. The Decline of Intercity Bus Service in Illinois. Presented at the 66th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Mostly men? Mostly women? Washington, D.C., Jan. 1987. 5. J. Kasarda. Population and Employment Change in the U.S.: Past, Present, and Future. Presented at the 2020 Futures Con­ 8. How do your customers come to the stop? ference, Washington, D.C., June 1988. 6. Final Report on the North Central Regional Symposium on Rural By car? If so, is there parking? Intercity Passenger Transportation. Des Moines, Iowa, Office of Transportation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1987. Dropped off? 7. W. Petrowski. Passenger Bus Service on Steady Decline. Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 25 , 1987. 8. S. Carter. Small Towns Look for Bus Alternatives. Des Moines Taxi? Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 7, 1988. 9. W. Petrowski. Cutbacks Peril Transit Service. Des Moines Reg­ Local public van? ister, Des Moines, Iowa, April 23, 1988. 10. D. Sperling and R. Goralka. Demand for Intercity Bus by the Rural Elderly. In Transportation Research Record 1202. TRB, Walk? National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1988, pp. 106- 113. Other? 11. E. Hansen et al. Assessment of the User Benefits of Intercity Bus Service. In Transportation Research Record 1125. TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1987, pp. 78-88. Is the stop within walking distance of the shopping area 12. The Greyhound Rural Connection Program Manual. Greyhound in town? Lines, Inc., Dallas, Tex., Nov. 1988. 13. The Rural Public Transportation Program, Project Supporting Do you know if it used to be? Information. Internal report. First Tennessee Human Resources Agency, Johnson City, n.d. 14. Greyhound Shu/Ile Service Program Manual. Greyhound Lines, There has been some talk about linking rural public vans Inc., Dallas, Tex., April 1988. or taxis, with regular Greyhound service in order to bring 15. L. Franks. Role of Feeder Buses in Supporting AMTRAK Serv- Kihl 99

ices in California. In Transportation Research Record 1177. TRB, International Business Services, Inc.; U.S. Department of Trans­ National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1988, pp. 40-47. portation, Jan. 1980. 16. Report on California Intercity Bus Transportation. California 21 . Greyhound Lines Directory of Sales Locations. Greyhound Lines, Department of Transportation, Sacramento, 1987. Inc., Dallas, Tex., March 15, 1988. 17. F. Fravel, R. E. Menzer, H. Weinblat, and J. Burkhardt. Inno­ 22. Jefferson Transportation Group Agency Directory. Jefferson vative Funding for Intercity Modes . Office of Technology and Transportation Line, Minneapolis, Minn., June 1987. Planning Assistance, U.S. Department of Transportation, July 23. Bus Ride, May 1988. 1987. 24. Bus Ride, Jan. 1988. 18. D. Dean. California's Intercity Bus-Rail Program. Presented at 25. Bus Ride, Oct. 1987. the 67th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., Jan. 1988. 19. Intercity Bus Terminal Study. U.S. Department of Transporta­ tion, Dec. 1984. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Intercity Bus 20. Intercity Bus, Rail, and Air Service for Residents of Rural Areas. Transportation.